Contract With Odu Center Poses No Conflict Of Interest

August 09, 2009|By Phillip Hamilton

A recent Daily Press editorial ("Money and politics," Aug. 6) indicated I had "some explaining to do" concerning my employment with Old Dominion University's Center for Teacher Quality and Educational Leadership. During my legislative career, I have always been willing to explain my actions and public policy positions.

In September 2006, I was asked to meet with several ODU officials about creating an educational center as part of its outreach responsibilities under the requirements of the recently passed Higher Education Restructuring Act. Because I was impressed with the concept they presented, I agreed to request that Gov. Tim Kaine include funding for such a center in his budget amendments for the 2007 session.

When funding for the proposal was not included in the budget amendments Kaine presented in December 2006, state Sen. Harry Blevins, a retired public school educator representing Chesapeake, and I introduced budget amendments in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates, respectively, to create such a center. The budget amendments approved by the House included half of the requested funding, while the Senate's amendments included no funding for an ODU educational center.

Ultimately, funding for the proposed center was included in the higher education portion of the budget conference report. I was not a direct participant in the negotiations regarding that portion of the budget, focusing instead on the health care, public education, public safety and general government portions of the budget. Kaine signed the amendments to the budget into law in April 2007.

A representative of ODU, with whom I had worked in the past through various Newport News Public Schools' projects, had inquired of my possible interest in working with such a center. He knew of my professional expertise and experience in improving teacher quality and educational leadership. In addition, as a public school teacher and assistant principal for 19 years and a professional development coordinator for 13 years, I had a record of working passionately to educate children and to improve the quality of public education in Newport News.

After July 1, 2007, I signed a one-year contract with ODU. I have signed two similar contracts since. ODU has copies of the contracts I have signed.

Since becoming an employee of the center, I have neither introduced nor voted on any legislation specifically related to it. To do so would be inappropriate. In reality, the effect of my employment with the center has actually diminished my ability as a legislator to impact additional state funding for it.

In full compliance with Virginia law, I have listed ODU on my annual Statement of Economic Interests forms.

As for the other "controversies" mentioned in the editorial, the following facts were not presented:

* I have never received a single $10,000 campaign contribution from Merck. The $10,000 amount that was mentioned in the editorial is the cumulative total of contributions to my re-election campaigns received over an 11-year period, from 1996 through 2006.

* The "special appropriation" for a local, nonstate agency was $250,000 out of more than $19 million appropriated for nonstate agencies that year. Those funds went to implement a program under the auspices of the Virginia Department of Health known as the Virginia Cares Uninsured Program. Subsequent to the initial $250,000 appropriation, Kaine has continued to provide funding to the organization to support this important health-care assistance outreach to uninsured Virginians.

The real story here is that it's an election year, and my integrity is being attacked. This, unfortunately, has become the norm in American politics.

In my years of public service, I have done my best to represent the citizens of the 93rd District in an ethical, honorable and responsible manner.

It is my intention to conduct my campaign based on ideas and solutions to improve the quality of life in Virginia. I look forward to such a discussion over the next three months. The citizens of the 93rd District deserve no less from someone who wants to represent them in Richmond.

Hamilton represents the 93rd Districti in the House of Delegates; it includes parts of Newport News and James City County.